Wednesday Skull Session

Raise your hand if you thought you'd see the day when the local paper of record would publish a report shooting down speculation that Jim Tressel would lose his job. To call recent developments surreal would be a bit of an understatement. In the time it took for Earth to spin once on its axis, Jim Tressel is suddenly mortal, a flawed human just like the rest of us.

As punishment for sitting on information that would have led to immediate NCAA violations, the university suspended Tressel for the first two games this fall (Akron and Toledo, both at home), issued a public reprimand/apology in the form of an emotional, and at times awkward, press conference that was televised and streamed to millions, fined him $250,000 and said he will attend a compliance seminar.

As it stands, the announced punishment (and the startling realization that a man you admire is fond of double exclamation points) would probably be just fine with most of us. The NCAA may agree, or it may not. We'll have to wait and see where things go on that front, but I have a hunch OSU's self-imposed punishment will be in the vicinity of what the NCAA has in mind.

Now, on to what we do know.

Tressel has earned the right to survive this. Can you imagine if this had happened in year three of John Cooper's tenure, or even year three of Jim Tressel's stint at Ohio State? The Buckeyes would be kicking off a search for a new coach. It's a pretty standard clause in most (if not all) coaching contracts and breaking it leads directly to termination, but Tressel has amassed enough support and built up enough of a track record to get through. Gene Smith was adamant about this fact at the start of the presser and Gee later echoed it with weird joke about hoping Tressel does not fire him (between that zinger and Smith's line in December about adding a tattoo artist to the WHAC, I really wish our administrators would lay off the funnah for a bit).

What all of this means about Tressel's future beyond this season is uncertain. His current contract expires in January 2015, and I think most assumed he'd coach through the 2014 season before moving into a role within the athletic department. He'll definitely be on the sidelines this season -- and I can't stress how great it is that he'll be here to face the music instead of running off to the NFL in dire times -- but does this violation accelerate his timetable at all?

Trolls, trolls, everywhere trolls. We're going to take our lumps over the coming days, but let's face it, if this was any other coach in the country, he would instantly become the most cheating-est (new word, look it up) coach in the history of the world in your eyes. Protecting your own and vilifying others is just a natural aspect of fandom and is part of the game (see also: politics). That said, there are reasonable ways to approach this story and then there are not.

And then there's stuff like this. Clay Travis a) is a middle-aged man that still rocks a fitted cap backwards, b) mistakenly claims to have coined the phrase "Bama Bangs" and most importantly, c) a Tennessee fan. Glass houses and all, but a trollin' ain't easy.

Finally, there's the local clown, rocking a haircut straight out of Footloose and saying whatever he can to invoke mass heart attacks across Franklin County. We have to bust our asses to get press passes. How does this guy have an auto-pass again?

None of this is fun to read (or hear), but we're just going to have to take it for the time being. Of course, a Cam Newton bombshell on Monday morning would be a welcome diversion. Or Oregon. Or USC. Anyone, really.

Start the "we'll be dropping 60 a game jokes". Ohio State did not announce which lucky coordinator would be elevated to the HC spot during Tressel's suspension, but Heacock has to be the odds-on favorite at this point in time. Unlike recent seasons with Darrell Hazell serving as assistant head coach in addition to his duties with the receivers, Tressel does not have a named lieutenant. Bollman is the offensive coordinator, while Heacock and Fickell are co-defensive coordinators. Both Bollman and Heacock have been with Tressel during his entire tenure in Columbus, but Heacock's Ohio State experience dates back to 1996, when he was hired as the team's defensive line coach. Besides, fans would lose their collective shit if Bollman were to be tabbed as acting head coach while Tressel serves his suspension.

At any rate, it will be fun to at least joke about the offensive possibilities with Tressel stuck at home on game day. For two Saturdays at least, perhaps the punt won't be the most important play (though I imagine Tressel's spirit will be alive and well in whatever gameplan is put together).

Yahoo! deserves some credit. While Robinson and Wetzel probably don't quite deserve the credit they're claiming, there's no questioning the fact that the Y! sports team is head and shoulders above the other major outlets (ESPN being the worst) when it comes to investigative journalism. If this had been Auburn, instead of Ohio State, we'd be applauding their efforts. In fact, we did so when they put USC through the grinder. It sucks today, but in the end, that's a good thing for all college football fans.

In case you missed it:The debut of Ramzy's regular 11W column is must-read. He's going to elevate our game.... We have video of the presser... OSU's self-report to the NCAA is here... The emails, in all their glory, are here.

Comments

I wonder if he had sought counsel from tOSU legal eagles how this would have played out. My guess is no suspension for him and the players not suspended pending resoloution of the Fed case. Lesson learned and drive on.

I accept why he did what he did. I accept that he realizes he made a mistake. Tress is my horse even if he never wins another race.

The ultimate moral of this story is that the NCAA view themselves higher than the Federal Government.

This information was private information given to JT by this lawyer and JT was told numerous of times in the emails that this was classified. I believe Jim Tressel did not share this information out of respect of the Federal Governments investigation of the tattoo artists drug ring thinking that if he did disclose what he was told he would compromise the whole investigation.

It would seem JT trying to do the right thing betrayed him simply because of his job description.

I am behind Tressel and tOSU 100% will defend their honor til the end.

I can agree with that, I may be a bit too pessemistic when it regards the NCAA so please forgive me. I view the NCAA as a faceless, heartless 'corporation' that is more worried about their pocket book than the well being of the young adults who are making them their money. I will hold judgement until further information and penalty comes.

Btw anyone else notice the ammount of memorabillia this guy had that was NOT from the current players? "National Championship" ring?

Also seems the players maybe where also receiving more than tattoos and cash from this scum?

Coach Tressel made a bad decision and he's going to be penalized. What he's going through personally far outweighs the two-gamer, the money, the seminar or the reprimand/apology.

Trust me - Coach Tressel is a man in agony today.

There are better days ahead Coach, and there's still work to be done. More young men to mentor, develop and coach. You might even connect with some of them better now that you have the experience of walking a mile in their shoes.

You can use this to become an excellent model for your student-athletes. Accept responsibility, apologize, make amends and use the experience to make yourself (and those around you) better.

But, Coach. Before you let someone put you through a presser like that again - call me.

That presser was a disaster. It was ill-advised. It was poorly prepped and it created more issues than it resolved.

I do it for a living Coach. AD Smith is on for two-minutes to give all the facts. You're on for 30 seconds to acknowledge the issue, accept responsiblity, apologize and promise to make things better for you, the team and The Ohio State University. President Gee is on for 30 seconds to acknowledge the issue, the punishment - then transition to your positive character, the need for integrity in program and the school. You take three, maybe four questions from reporters (who you've talked with before the presser). The answers are straight, honest and to the point. You avoid any details invovled in the ongoing NCAA investigation and you close the presser. Six or seven minutes - tops.

I aged during that presser. And will use it to train other on how NOT to address the media.

If there wouldn't have been a leak at Yahoo, we wouldn't be talking about this today. I think the Feds are a bit more intimidating than the NCAA. They need to do their investigation, which is ongoing. I don't know what your expertise is, 3 Yards, but what part of "ongoing investigation" don't you understand?

This presser was to acknowledge a mistake. They had to do/say something.

Tressel is still a pretty damn good person. Anyone who is claiming otherwise really ought to get off their high horse.

This whole thing is certainly a black eye for the program, but it has been for a while now and there's nothing we can do but accept that it's happened and move forward.

To project one's own disdain for Pryor onto the whole situation is absurd and childish. Can he handle things better? Sure. Does say things with malicious intent? Not likely. So maybe we shouldn't say malicious things either.

That being said, Clay Travis can go non-maliciously eff himself with a pinecone.

We still have very little insight into the ongoing federal and NCAA cases (from which there have been no final rulings, I might add), so it's foolish to speak of 'facts' and 'proof'. The emails are out, and that's it for right now. They're redacted, and somehow I don't think printing them out and holding them up to the light to see if we can read through the blot-outs will do any good.

I love how he says that "at least UM fired their cheating coach" HA! RR got fired for LOSING! Cooper: LOSING Shannon: LOSING. I think it was Coop who said "they will fire you for losing before they will fire you for cheating"

Compliance department notwithstanding, to think that Tressel could have acted otherwise is to bury your head as to what Tressel is all about. I get the feeling that if you asked Tress not to tell anyone you like ice cream, he'd keep that secret to the grave. In this instance, he did not want to risk tipping anyone off about an ongoing investigation or getting anyone hurt. I'm sure his past experience (admitting he'd had players in the past die or get arrested) played a role. Sure, he could should have talked in hypotheticals to his compliance dept. counsel, and no doubt he will if this comes up again. Tress has built up sufficient character equity that I'm sticking behind him on this one.

While the rest of the world enjoys their schaudenfreude moment, it's useful to remember that in our society we love to see the mighty fall...and the more upstanding someone seems/is, the more we want to see them fall from grace. The harder the better. This is why we have spectacles like the OJ trial and shows like TMZ.

The first five games of 2011 are survival mode. God help the rest of the NCAA if we get through it unscathed.

I lawyer for a living and I don't have much tolerance for all this "he was protecting a federal investigation" stuff. This was a defense attorney who contacted him, not the U.S. government. Any request for confidentiality was just that -- non-binding. And, to the extent that he was concerned about his player's safety, that concern would have been better served by notifiying the university and employing its resources to protect the students. Gene Smith or the general counsel of OSU was a telephone call away and Tressel sat on the information for 8 months. Even after the federal investigation was revealed, Tressel sat on the information. Unless he had his client's consent, that nameless attorney is going to be disbarred. And even if he did have his client's consent, those statements are arguably admissible against his client. Incidentally, I spent half of yesterday in a meeting regarding an (unrelated) federal investigation with an Assistant U.S. Attorney -- the same type of guy who is prosecuting Rife -- immediately prior to the press conference. In fact, this particular meeting refused to end and I kept looking at the clock on the wall to make sure I would get back to the office in time to catch the presser. As someone with experience in these things, the federal investigation angle is a red herring and the story does not add up as to why Tressel kept silent. To the extent Tressel lacked that experience, he would have contacted someone who did.

Let's be very clear about the situation here: this is an experienced head coach, who at best knowingly mislead, and who at worst outright lied to the NCAA and to his bosses. NCAA now has irrefutable evidence of Tressel's knowledge of his players receiving improper benefits. That is the holy grail for the NCAA -- proof that a program's head coach was aware of infractions and did not report them to the NCAA. With all due respect to the others holding contrary opinions, anyone who thinks that a two-game suspension and a fine is going to satisfy the NCAA's bloodlust is still in denial, and I don't blame them. The NCAA has been mocked for months/years now, and if they have the chance to make an example of someone, they will do so. I love Tressel and I want to see him do well. I love Ohio State and the program even more than I love a coach, however. Tressel will take his lumps, and I suspect we will have the 2010 season vacated for knowingly playing players who would have otherwise been ineligible.

Matt, there's a difference between legally binding and just honoring someone's request for confidentiality. Tressel is the kind of man who doesn't need a legal requirement to honor that kind of request (right or wrong). For all your sky-is-falling rhetoric, remember that not only was the NCAA in the loop and cooperating with the OSU internal investigation, but the university also hired an outside compliance consulting firm to ensure their sanctions followed similar precedents. That said, there could be more to come (possibly probation), but I'm satisfied we're not getting the death penalty or anything.

Agreed it is a big deal, but with all due respect... You practicing law doesn't lend you to knowledge of the NCAA or what it will do. It is in OSU's best interest to come as close as possible to the likely punishment for Tressel while leaving out a tiny bit for NCAA to add to it.

To self-impose sanctions that are absurdly low on a coach to the NCAA is incredibly counter productive. They imposed what they did based off working with the NCAA & in conjunction with consulting capacities.

I will bet we're looking at some probation and possibly an addition game suspension. Maybe increase in monetary, but not much past that.

Yikes, do you work for the NCAA? I thought not. Above all, the organization values institutions who police themselves. Without the cooperation of member universities their task is impossible. tOSU may stumble now and then, but they are a model for cooperation with the NCAA. This investigation would have at best taken a year at any other institution. Did Jim do wrong, yes he did. Was there plausible reason, maybe so.

The sanctions levied by tOSU were done in consultation with 2 NCAA investigators and a legal consultant (lawyer who was a past employee of the NCAA) with better knowledge of the NCAA's operations than any of us, including you. I am not saying that more sanctions will not be handed down, but the extreme measures that you suggest are way out of line. Talk about instilling panic. You are right up there with the haters. While I know there indeed may be more sanctions I am perfectly willing to let it play out with the NCAA for the next 2 months. And, given that they had investigators on site for this self report the time table should not take much longer. If they use extreme sanctions to make an example of tOSU for promptly investigating and reporting they send the message that it is better to conceal and evade in hopes of non discovery. The Reggie Bush fiasco proved that - they barely scratched the surface of all that went on at USC. After all, they are not a large organization with unlimited resources to investigate every instance like this at every university. And if you think these types of things do not happen regularly at other universities your are much more in denial than the poor souls who think these self imposed sanctions are sufficient.

I have a very long response to this, so I will break it up into sections so it doesnt look so exhaustive.....

1) Regarding the confidentiality issue. I agree that the when faced with a situation where one party is asking for confidence best practice is to offer that you cannot guarantee it. However in this case, the information was rec'd prior to being asked for the confidence, thus JT did not have an opportunity to decline the information if a no-guarantee clause was put on the table.
2) I also find the tone of the e-mails somewhat troubling, however I did note that in the first e-mail, the attorney indicated a lot of memorabilia was seized, that merchandise had been sold by the owner of the shop and that he was not sure if the players had received any money as a result. Also, the email indicates he was told players were trading items for tattoos. This does not equate to evidence it had occurred. Correlation does not equal causation. Also, just because it was found to be true later, does not mean that at this time there was any reason to believe the speculations were true at the time. Again, this attorney heard the information, and if he is a defense attorney it is logical to assume he is speaking with the people involved from a defendant perspective—short answer, the criminal(s). Tress responds, ‘thanks, I will get on in ASAP.’ Does this mean he shared the info with someone and is now just taking the hit to protect the University? Does he call the players in and question them and then is satisfied with their denials (again, remember TP tweeted when the scandal broke that he paid for his tattoos), or did he just brush it off and hope for the best? What I know of him, the latter conclusion just does not fit.

3) In the second e-mail from the attorney, he notes that he had the shop owner in his office the previous day. This tells me he had not spoken with the shop owner prior to sending the first e-mail, further supporting that he was not reporting any first hand info to JT in his first correspondence. Although certainly professionally out of line, he now asks for confidentiality (presumably because he now has first hand information from the shop owner). This e-mail also indicates the government is keeping the seized merchandise. I feel this is important b/c you have to remember, some of us are used to dealing with the criminal element on a day to day basis. Some of us may have even been the criminal element at one point in our lives. To someone like JT, hearing those kinds of words—federal investigation, gov’t seizing property, drug trafficking, confidential—maybe you don’t know exactly what to do and you think the best thing is nothing while those with REAL issues to settle (public safety, evidence gathering, and apprehending criminals) do what they need to do. JT’s response to the second e-mail is two-fold I think. When he responds “I hear you” and “it is unbelievable” I feel that is in response to the sender’s emotional reaction to what the players did by selling their stuff and not necessarily an editorial on his own feelings about what is happening. He then wants to know what he should do, if anything. Again, confidentiality has been requested at this point and this really does give credibility to his reasoning—would he ask what to do at this point from this person if he felt there was somewhere else he could go for guidance? No, because he is respecting the confidential nature of the information. I would be more concerned about JT’s character if the very first thing he worried about was the NCAA. These are peoples LIVES. The attorney’s reputation (and license at this point) is at stake, the work of the federal government is at stake, and potentially the safety of his players and the community is at stake. Lastly in his e-mail response, JT offers he will continue to pound the kids in hopes they grow up. I think he is just offering a resolution, again as a response to the sender’s emotional reaction to the situation. In the presser he indicated he stepped up the lectures on surrounding yourself with better people, making better decisions and so forth (wink-face). During the second round of e-mails, there is still no PROOF that an infraction has occurred on the part of the players—just info given from the person who is being investigated and a defense attorney.

3) Later on the same day, the attorney responds (presumably to the ‘let me know what to do if anything’ comment by JT) with making the tat shop off limits, cell phone use, etc. “He really is a drug dealer” and “he is in really big trouble” language is contained in this e-mail, as is another request to keep this information confidential. Again, it is plausible that JT was scared at this point for the full ramifications for these players AS PEOPLE and not necessarily as football players for his team.
4) The final email, initiated by JT, requests names of other’s involved. This is a curious request from a person who is purposely trying to hide information. This email transaction occurred in June, and if no other email chains were found during the search of JT’s history, then it appears the last email from the attorney to JT was the April 16th response to what he (JT) should do if anything. Why would someone who is intentionally trying to withhold or suppress information request more? It appears he is trying to get a handle on whether or not there has been any more information obtained about those already named and/or if he should be worried about any of his other players. Also, it appears this email indicates the issues surrounding the shop owner have been settled—not the entire criminal case. It appears this is where the pipeline of information to this attorney stops, therefore there is no other information at this time regarding the STATUS of the entire criminal case. Again, it is possible JT feels he must still keep the info under wraps.

Some other miscellaneous ramblings:
If JT knew what he was doing was wrong, why didn’t he hide it better? Ever hear of delete? Of course I am not supporting a cover-up, just wondering why such a corrupt and unscrupulous man wouldn’t at least try to mitigate his damages. At the very least in December he knew the hammer was going to drop—why not start the cover-up process then?
Honestly guys, don’t rule out the possibility JT DID IN FACT LET THE ATHLETIC DEPTARMENT KNOW ABOUT THIS. You have the suspicious nod during the question as to whether or not he forwarded the info to anyone. There is also the way Gene Smith jumped on him not answering any questions about it as well as the University’s unwavering support of him. The reality is that separate from each other, JT does have higher moral equity than the University and could withstand this scandal better than the Athletic Department as a whole.
There is something being made of the document he signed in 09/10 as well as his opportunity to come clean in December. Since I am playing Jim’s Advocate today, I offer this: in 09/10 he did not KNOW of any infractions—just the possibility they could exist once the criminal matter had been settled. Also, I believe the day the players were formally interviewed 12/16/2010, he was INformally interviewed that day (correct me if I am wrong, my work computer wont let me open the self-report PDF) and during the formal interview he gave some vague and ambiguous answers. This is where my B.S. meter starts to wiggle a little. There are only four real possibilities: JT had to lie b/c tOSU had been aware all along and were just waiting to see if the info came out, hoping that it didnt. Or JT honestly didn’t connect the dots and believed what he was saying about not remembering who sent him the ‘tip’ about off-field choices. Or JT is a wolf in nerd’s clothing and has been corrupt all along. Or JT had gone to administration by now with what he knew and damage control had not yet been formulated and he did the best he could for a man not used to lying.

The $250,000 fine is HUGE! The haters will say "Oh well, Tressel makes millions so it won't hurt". Think about this, the Patriots were fined $250,000 by the NFL for Spygate and a draft pick. Not Belicheck, the Patriots. So 2 games and $250,000 is big.

Not responding to mocks about Tressel. His silence was due to an on-going Federal Drug Investigation that could have jeopardized the safety of some of his players. Those 'Yahoos' jumped the gun on the story! I invited much of Buckeye Nation to BOYCOTT YAHOO & show we support our coach!!! Hope you join the group!!

I'm all aboard the boycott! While they "broke" the story and everyone is giving them credit for bringing it to everyone's attention, they did so in a manner that almost accuses Ohio State of trying to hide something. Maybe I shouldn't comment like that because I haven't read anything from Yahoo Sports. I'm gathering from everyone on here and twitter those guys made it seem like OSU wasn't doing anything.

I read one of this "Clay Travis'" blogs. The dude is a certified redneck. In one, he criticized Florida Gator women for having too much arm fat.(WTF?) Why we should worry about what he thinks(or any other SEC redneck for that matter)? I don't think his name is worthy to be on 11Warriors and will not mention that toothless prick's name again.

Did anyone happen to see Scent of a Woman with Al Pacino? He played a blind man that goes to bat for a kid that refused to snitch on his buddies in some elite high school, even though it would have benefited him. And there was a LOT of pressure to snitch. Pacino argued the young man had more character for keeping his word that he would NOT snitch on his buddies. Loyalty. It's hard to come by these days. I'll tell you, I wouldn't have a problem being in a foxhole with JT if I had to.

I've had Yahoo as my logon homepage and it's a part of my email. Maybe it's time for a change.

Now can we talk about Ohio State basketball? You know: Sullinger, Craft, Buford, Lighty, Lauderdale, Thomas, Diebler & Co.? The best damn basketball team in the land!

i'm actually still sick to my stomach..on every news outlet he is being trashed and i believe it is ill-placed..am i not correct in the assumption that he is being accused of not releasing information on a FEDERAL INVESTIGATION...to...the ncaa....what takes precedent on that?

To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift - Steve Prefontaine

I think it is ill placed too,but as people have stated earlier, haters are gonna hate. I've completely stopped watching ESPN with the exception of live sports. Everything else on there is pure garbage.

The lawyer should have been the one worrying about talking about an ongoing federal investigation, not Tressel. Keeping his players safe would have been informing the NCAA and the players themselves that they were brekaing the rules with a drug dealer, but he didn't. He let his players continue on. Letting his players be around a known drug dealer sounds like Tressel had his players saftey in mind!!

This is all tough stuff. I can't say I know ALL the facts, though I've been riveted by this.

I like Tressel now more than ever for this. Here's why:

1) He leads an organization of 100+ people. Stuff's going to happen. Especially when you are taking 18-19 year old kids who may have had less than perfect situations growing up, and you are trying to mold them into people who will get to class, hit the books, serve their schools on the football field, and stay out of trouble. These guys are not typical BYU students. It takes a lot of work to keep it together.

2) It looks like he made the best of a no-win scenario. There's times when you lead an orgainzation that you have to take the lesser of two evils and simply make lemonade with the lemons. I think he did that.

3) Unquestionably, TP has some mental/emotional growth left in him. But Tressel saw enough in him to pull him in the door. Therefore, he ignores the risk associated with TP, just like everybody else who plays for him. TP stands by his people, even when he himself takes on risks like this.

I'm a military officer myself. Though I haven't led an organization the size of the OSU football team, I know that when you take on large organizations with a bunch of 18-20 year old guys, stuff is going to happen. It's how you deal with it that counts. Looks to me like Tressel defaults towards protecting his people (and yes, protecting the team from defeat as best he can) over throwing people overboard to protect his image.

Nasty sportswriters who throw stones at anybody will NEVER be in this kind of position. Funny to see them judge all this stuff, taking absolute moral positions without ever having to balance their ideology with the realities of the world.

I'm sure this comes off as a bunch of excuse-making to guys who want to see Tressel, Pryor, or both taken down. Which probably means you don't really care for Tressel or the team anyway. Don't know about the rest of you, but I thought it would be devastating to lose the ball coach. Remember how 2-10-1 felt? Wins matter too! The only person who's pure of position and around power businesses (where there's big competition and big money) is the lawyer and the journalist. The vultures who reap the rewards for throwign stones, laughing at failures and misery, and looking to take the next giant down...because they are not equipped to actually build anything or lead anybody themselves...what a miserable existence.

Go Bucks! How about the bball team, huh?

Marshall
2002 graduate of The Ohio State University
National champs. Coincidence?

Excellent post. The outside world of sports writers perhaps sometimes forget that these coaches often look at their players as their own children. Right or wrong, a parents love wants to protect and cover for their kids.

Thanks, your posts are right on too. Looks like you share the same sentiments...I've got 2 kids myself. It's easy when things are going right. It's hard when your kid messes up and you need to protect them...sometimes even from themselves.

Marshall
2002 graduate of The Ohio State University
National champs. Coincidence?

I bleed scarlet and grey as much as anyone so it really pains me to say that, after reading Tressel's email string between the lawyer, how in the world could he not AT LEAST have gone to Gene Smith about the issue??

Tressel is obviously a coach who cares a lot about his players and protects them - and that is a very good thing - especially if you have a son on the team. I'm sure this is one of those things where deep down inside he knew he needed to report it - but the longer it went from the time he first found out the more difficult it was to bring it up. Then came December and I'm sure that was an 'oh stink' moment for Tressel. I suppose he was hoping to ride it out until the school found his emails.

This doesn't look good on Tressel's reputation - but having said that, who here has been perfect? Bottom line is that Tressel was protecting players - He shouldn't have done that and the NCAA doesn't like that. But as a parent - part of me really appreciates that.

I bleed scarlet and grey as much as anyone so it really pains me to say that, after reading Tressel's email string between the lawyer, how in the world could he not AT LEAST have gone to Gene Smith about the issue??

This is also my issue. I'm having a hard time after reading the letters understanding why he didn't do something with them. His responses to the email are kind of a joke. The only logical type of reasoning I can come up with is he just gets a ton of emails and doesn't pay attention to them OR he just didn't think it was a big deal. I'm not sure.....

He just didn't want to see his star players get into trouble and lose a winning season. Doesn't seem like he had much trust in the rest of his recruits does it? Rules are rules, no matter how hard it is to call them on yourself, you have to do it.

True unity, loyalty and support are determined in adversity. Anyone can love someone and stand behind them when things are rosey - it's when things are not so pretty that true support is revealed. Tress messed up. But he's still a great man that deserves true Buckeye fans loyalty and support.

I don't really mind the fact that Coach Tressel didn't tell what he knew eventhough the request for confidentiality wasn't legally binding. Not being a lawyer or familiar with the legal process one could make that mistake. I know the should've and could've are sure to follow, but like they say hind sight is 20/20. But, I do have a problem with one (in my opinion) huge detail. He wasn't asked to remain silent until two weeks after the initial email. Why did it take so long to take action especially when at least one current player was named? I can understand taking a few days to mull the decision over, maybe even take a little time to do an investigation on your own before going to the compliance department or some other authority. But I personally believe two weeks is a little too much time. I love OSU and I love JT, but after it is all said and done I believe that something just isn't quite right. I would love to be wrong (and I pray I am) but something just doesn't add up. That being said, I stand by the decision to not fire our coach. He has stood by our players through thick and thin and I think we should do the same. GO BUCKS!

I'm looking at this differently today after seeing the e-mail trail. I'm on the fence about Tressel. It can certainly be argued that his real concern was a potential NC season. No one knows what he was really thinking.

His image as the senator leads us to conclude one thing; but if you honestly look at the e-mail evidence; its not that hard to conclude something else entirely.

Sadly, this is all we are going to here about during the basketball games. For once, I am looking forward to Gus Johnson. He won't talk about it. I missed Mike and Mike this morning. What did Bobby Knight and Spiels say?

"At critical moments throughout the season, we learned about the character of this football team. This was a team of true character, of true resilience." -- President Barack Obama

I just can’t get over the fact he CLEARLY knew he was doing wrong by sitting on the info and simply made a choice not to tell anyone. I don’t buy that he was so consumed about keep some random attorney’s confidentiality but I’m not legal expert. That said, my thing is that even at my company, you are taught that if someone comes to you and says they want confidentiality, you have to tell them you can’t necessarily guarantee that depending on what you are told. The reason for that is that you are likely not the expert in taking action on whatever the information might be so you go to HR/Legal (wherever) and allow them to get the experts involved. I feel like Tress needed to respond to that attorney in a similar fashion, noting that he couldn’t guarantee confidentiality because he, as the CEO of Ohio State football, now has info that could jeopardize his business and/or his employees (players).

Now, right or wrong, I’ve always been honest in saying that I really don’t care that much about how OSU is perceived nationally, I just care about winning games. As a result, I don’t require Tressel to be a deity, however I feel like he puts that on himself with how he speaks, write books about integrity etc, so in turn, he needs to live up to that expectation he has created for himself. This incident, whether more comes from it or not, has nearly obliterated his national image. He’s still gonna be fine from an OSU fanbase perspective but it’s hard for me to defend him in relation to some of the stuff the national media is saying.

I’m not sure I think additional severe penalties are coming, only because Smith/Gee were smart enough to get the NCAA in here immediately to assist with the investigation. What I am confused about, however is that I don’t recall Smith mentioning the penalty of Tressel not being allowed to have any involvement in spring practice or summer camps yet that is in black/white in OSU’s self report. Did I miss that on TV? All I recall was the 2 games, 250k fine, compliance course and public reprimand/apology. And how bout that reprimand, by the way?!?! Was that the part when Gee said he was worried Tressel would dismiss him? I appreciate Gee trying to soften the blow to Tressel but that whole sequence made us look worse, I think. As if Tressel even has the university prez wrapped around his finger.

My understanding was that the inclusion of the Spring/Summer practice prohibition in the letter was a mistake by OSU, and that OSU now intends for Tressel to remain with the team during that time. Perhaps, in the rush to get the letter out to the NCAA after the Yahoo story, the compliance people were in disarray and messed up on that point.

Yahoo's one-sentence of news turned out to be correct but that doesn't change that it was a weak story and shoddy "journalism."

This Yahoo story is just one example of the Twitterization of journalism (actually, the Twitter part is just a more recent aspect of a much longer-term breakdown), and Yahoo can always just say "score board," but that's the only credit they've really earned.

Personally, I won't applaud one-sentence "investigative journalism" that vindicates itself by gloating "score board!" or think that this trend is good for sports fans/readers in particular or citizens in general. In the short-term, it might be lucrative enough, but I wonder about its longer-term sustainability as a business model.

And, yes, I "blame the messenger" because even if we were able to clean up much of the problems in college athletics, we'd still be left with low-rent media that are swirling down to the toilet drain, which is much more problematical to a democratic society than are NCAA rules violations.

Say what you want about JT (he did make a mistake), but he is a far better man than 99 percent of the pious commentariat and psuedo-journalists.

And to those sanctimonious members of the Buckeye family: insomuch as you address JT's mistake as part of your genuine contribution to the larger project of promoting good ethics, accountability, etc., especially among the young (with you leading by example, I hope) your efforts should be commended; but please do take a good look around you at what is happening in the world today and what might be over the horizon before deciding how to best direct your missionary-like energies.

Finally, the haters among the masses are irrelevancies - what they hate most is when people ignore them.

I'm wondering just how naive-trusting Tress is. How much of his persona is real? If he is exactly what he seems to be, then it's possible that if he was told by law authorities to keep information confidential, he'd do exactly what the authorities told him...even if it conflicted with his duties to the school/NCAA and his own George-Wasthington-must-not-tell-a-lie inner voice.

I would have told the compliance office immediately...but I'm the type that would try to save my ass first, damn the legal authorities. Could anyone be that obedient to authority? Would that person be Tressel?

He is being satirical... gravey said that quote was from G Wash, but it was actually said by Abe (as you pointed out) and so Denny is piling onto the misinterpretation by saying Abe cut down the tree, even thought it was the Cherry Tree that George Washington "cut" down...

JT might stay until his contract is up, but the page on this error of OSU Football is beginning to turn. Talk of "Paying it Forward" won't feel as genuine. Much like Woody, JT will still be incredibly active in the OSU community after he's done (and in the AD's office), but many people won't forget. People will always wonder how he could be so MONUMENTALLY stupid.

Bloggers, media, talking heads, reporters....criticize all you want. I suspect that for the majority (if not all), Jim Tressel is a better person than you. He has attained more, makes more, works more, contributes more, and even with his foibles, has more leadership ability and integrity than you.

Much like with Woody Hayes (as I watched the 4000th iteration of the Gator Bowl on the day of his death), "the evil that men do live after them, the good is oft interred with their bones". So enjoy your moment in the sun, enjoy your moment of comeuppance, karma, or whatever you feel. Pick it all apart...coulda...woulda....shoulda.

tOSU will endure and have a fine season. It will be there in 2012 and on, as will Jim Tressel. tOSU will continue to put out star athletes, scholars, and fine citizens. tOSU Medical Center will still be a top ten hospital, the school of business will still be one of the top 100, tOSU will be a top 100 university, the law school is considered a top tier law school, etc., etc.

Jim "DooDah" Day

"If I were giving a young man advice as to how he might succeed in life, I would say to him, pick out a good father and mother, and begin life in Ohio.” --Wilbur Wright, 1910

I can't speak for everyone but as a blogger and fan, I'm not intending to criticize, just observing and having an opinion. Quite frankly, for the money he makes, the position he holds, the accountability/responsibility that he knows come with the job etc, shouldn't it be fair to expect him to be a "better person" than me?

I say it all the time, I really don't care how our coach or program is perceived as long as it doesn't hurt recruiting and OSU wins games so personally I love Tress just as much today as I did yesterday, assuming his actions don't impact future recruiting and winning. My personal issue is that he seemingly goes out of his way to to write books etc on integrity and I can't get past my opinion that he blatantly withheld info from the school under what I feel are very shaky, unrealistic reasons.

JT has obviously proven that he can win football games in the 21st century. I'm not disputing that. But, is JT still capable of handling the ever changing/expanding dynamics of major 21st century college football athletes? This situation smacks of, "Um...um...I don't know what to do." Clearly, he was swimming in waters he didn't know how to navigate.

It all hinges on if you believe he acted (or failed to) for reasons he stated. It doesn't matter what people assume others know about confidentiality obligations, only what Tress understood his responsibilities were at the time. If you are inclined to think he wanted to cheat, then his reasoning will sound weak.

He said he thought an investigation was underway (one more important and primary to any NCAA interests) and he was obligated keep it confidential. He also thought his players lives might be at risk if info were leaked before the Feds acted (a reasonable thought, note that this story broke because of a leak from within OSU or the NCAA). So he kept it to himself. Actually, we don't know yet who else within OSU he may have forwarded this info, though obviously it wasn't to those he should have (as he claims he discovered later). If you think he was just trying to cheat, this all appears weak. But if you believe what he said was his frame of mind, the actions make sense.

I cannot reconcile the cheating motive with Tressel. I for one believe he meant what he says in his book. He struck me yesterday as someone who thought he was handling it correctly and recently discovered he was terribly wrong.

I also have a hard time thinking of JT as a cheater, and I appreciate his stated desire to maintain confidentiality. However ... it requires either the naivete of a 6-year-old or a level of homerism beyond rationality to feel comfortable with Tress's "explanation" of why he sat on the emails.

Did he know the emails were evidence of possible non-compliance? Yes, he's admitted as much. He says he didn't want to divulge them because of confidentiality and an ongoing federal investigation -- but why didn't he at least talk with a university lawyer? Surely he's not so dense as to think he couldn't talk with a lawyer and still maintain confidentiality. And since he admittedly did not know what to do but knew it was a potential violation that would eventually become known, I don't see how a rational actor chooses to continue concealment. And even if he somehow thought concealment initially was the right course of action, why was he staying quiet in December? The federal investigation at that point was public, the players' names were already in the press, there was no benefit to be had from concealment except a nefarious one.

I like Tressel -- still -- and can't imagine having to replace him without suffering a multi-year downturn in the program, but he either concealed the emails to keep his kids eligible or he is much, much, much less intelligent than most people think. It pains me to admit it (and I will admit it here among OSU loyalists rather than to the Buckeye bashers around me), his story does not hold water. If the NCAA only suspends him for additional games and puts the program on probation, I'll consider it a victory.

Very well said, Cronimi. That's the exact path I was going down but you said it better. I don't buy Tress is that naive or dumb. And when he had additional opportunities to speak up, all the info so far says he neglected to do that. Tough for me to get past those things from a JT credibility standpoint. I'm not losing sleep, as I said earlier, if he continues to recruit/win because I really don't care. I'm just struggling to see so many folks make what feel like excuses about his choices.

+1. I'm in the "Tressel should be fired" camp. What people can't seem to separate is the fact that no one is attacking Jim Tressel the person. As a person, I'm sure he practices what he preaches. But, this isn't about JT the person. This is about JT the coach. Right now, OSU is being dragged through the mud because of him. He is not bigger than the program.

Good points all. I'll admit I really WANT to believe Tress, and am trying to see how he could have gone down this path with the best of intentions. But I remain depressed today and far less because of the image or sanctions problems but what this may mean about a man I respected greatly.

At this point I'm hanging my hopes on the fact that those best in the position to judge him - and know him and feel betrayed by him - heard his story out in detail and have bought it. Ok, maybe Gordan Gee is hard to take seriously, but I think Gene Smith is levelheaded and feels a responsibility of his own. And, again, we're still missing some potentially important details.

I know I've already commented on Cronimi's post once (with a "+1") but you have so perfectly nailed it here I felt the need to give you props again.

I am first and foremost a proud Ohio State alum, fan, and booster - and remain so today and forever. I have been a Tressel believer and fan from the beginning (actually since the YSU days) and still love and appreciate what he has done for Ohio State... but, this is really tough to deal with.

I believe anyone who fully admits the error of their ways and accepts responsibility for their actions is deserving of forgiveness. I am hoping we eventually get a full and complete accounting of what lead JT to make this unfortunate series of bad decisions, and hear him own up to it completely, and ask for the Buckeye Nation to forgive him. I don't feel like that is exactly what we got last night.

It's a tough day to be a Jim Tressel fan, but as always, I am proud to be a Buckeye and support all of our Buckeyes - including JT.

Tressel makes all sorts of mistakes. Many of us spent 2001-2010 wanting to punch our TV screens at the lack of offensive prowess. Couple that to the fact that OSU doesn't just do a good job at reporting itself to the NCAA, it self-reports more violations than any other program. Mistakes happen at Ohio State all the time. Tressel was never not human.

I do not like what most of the media is doing with the story, though. This seems more like a gray area than a case of flagrant disregarding the rules. It seems Tressel had a reason, at least in his mind, not to divulge information. Mandel at SI doesn't buy into that excuse, and Schlabach at ESPN didn't even mention that in his diatribe.

in whatever way may be possible with starters missing the first five games and tressel missing the first two, I'd like to see us put up a hunda on both Akron and Toledo just because everyone hates the Buckeyes already and that would give me great pleasure.

The more I read about this story and listen to people on TV and radio, I am really starting to wonder if Tressel survives this.

I don't think tOSU will ever fire JT, but I think the repeated calls for his head might be enough for him to pack up and retire. I really can't imagine him only being suspended for two games and being fined. The NCAA is going to be pressured to make an example out of the Buckeyes (even though that example should probably be made with Oregon and/or Auburn) and the best bet may be for JT to just step down.

I hope I am wrong here, but the more I think about it, the worst feeling I have. At this point, I would be happy with tOSU not vacating wins from last season, keeping scholarships, and being able to play a bowl game next year.

The thing about it is, if he steps down, then who takes the brunt of the NCAA punishment? The program will. Right now it's just Tressel. I doubt they are going to do much more than what has been done already, but if Tressel steps down, they'll have to leverage their punishment somewhere. I would expect more than just probation at that point.

I believe someone hit on it earlier but the reason I truly believe Coach Tessel did not divulge any information was because this lawyer should not have been talking to him at all. If Coach Tressel divulged that information and it went to the NCAA etc. then that lawyer would have been disbarred as I am sure he is on his way to becoming now. The person I have come to see in Coach Tressel is one who would not wan't whomever this friend/confidant may be to lose his job. Even though im sure this information was given to Coach Tressel without his request he probably would feel responsible to protect someone who was trying to protect Coach Tressel and his players. Thats just my take on this and other should think about how it feels to be put in a situation where maybe a friend/relative whomever needs your confidentiality even though you did not want to end up in that situation. Fuck em all GO BUCKS!!

I'm going to have to disagree with you on Yahoo!, Jason. From the perceived timeline they knew pretty much NOTHING about what was going on other than a bone that was thrown their way by an NCAA leak mere days before they released the story.

They didn't even do a FOIA on OSU. They had about 10% of the story right, didn't have any legitimate details, and lied about investigating it for two months. This is just an example of a broken clock being right twice a day.

Any chance those 2 Yahoos will do a story on over recruiting in the SEC?

On a serious note, the measuring stick for me is this: do the actions of the team/coaches match the pride I feel for tOSU? In this case, no. I would have been proud to see Tressel self-administer a 5 game suspension to match the penalty that his players will endure.

I agree with your proposed self-punishment. If the players are down 5 games, Tress should be too. (Of course, the university is appealing the 5 games, so sittin Tress that long might impact the NCAA's ruling, in spite of Gene Smith's admonitions that the cases are completely separate.)

And as I wrote to a friend, who cares about football -- OSU is a basketball school! We're #1 baby!!

I'm absolutely not someone who thinks Tressel should be fired, at all. Quite honestly, I find it absurd to think anyone would want him canned. Whether you believe his reasoning or not is up to you, but the good the man has done for te university and his players far outweighs this transgression. He made one mistake, and it was far less embarrassing than the one mistake our "legendary" coach made.

In addition to that, who do you replace him with? High profile coaches don't usually line up to replace a guy who gets fired after a decade of unprecedented success. They are walking into a no win situation. Then you settle for someone not good enough.

There also would be quite a lot of negative press for firing the guy. Almost everything I've read and heard says that they wouldn't have expected Ohio State to fire Tressel. Citing his success and the kind of man he's been. Do you honestly think those guys wouldn't run to their cameras, microphones, and computers to trash Ohio State for getting rid of one of the best coaches in America and a true legend at the university?

Based on the twisted moral relativity in the college football world, they certainly aren't praising OSU right now. Again, this isn't about Tressel and everything he's done in the community/for the university. This is about Tressel the coach. As far as I'm concerned, he's damaged something that I've loved. I don't care about the BCS bowl wins right now; people need to start wrapping their minds around the fact that Tressel, despite his senatorial visage, knew EXACTLY what he was doing despite all of the "Gollys" and "Aw shucks" in the presser.

Thank GOD for the Golf Channel right now. Can not hear anymore from. the "world wide leader" or any other media outlet. I pray that this does not affect our "squeeky clean" hoops team. mentally or in the media.

There's a natural ebb and flow in college sports. While I wish that the events of the past 24 hours weren't a part of this process, sooner rather than later we were going to come back down to earth. The level of success that we've had over the past few seasons is not the norm. Due to the amount of talent that we've stockpiled, if 9-3 and/or 8-4 for a season or two means taking a step back (unlike the implosion of Texas last season), I'll take that.

I dont think I have much to say that hasnt been said already, but here goes.

In mid January I emailed Tress to congratulate him and his staff on 10 years at OSU. He took the time to respond the following. "Thanks, Matt!!...Challenging but rewarding!!...Go Bucks!! JT" which to me sounds a lot like " Thanks ****....I will get on it ASAP..." I cant fault him for not acting on this email as it seems it was written in the same context as his response to my email, ie...yeah, thanks, whatever.. The second email however paints a little clearer and more concise picture as to what is taking place. Regardless of the authors request for confidentiality, Tress should have acted. I hate to say this, and yesterday I would have swore it could NEVER happen, but it seems to me like the only thing Tress was trying to protect his players from was an NCAA suspension. I, like many of you, hold Tress to a higher standard than I would other public figures. Maybe I shouldnt, but I do.

I will be pissed if he steps down or is fired over this, but I cant help but think this is far from over. I wouldnt be the least bit surprised to see a 5 game suspension to match the players. You could make the argument that not saying anything is slightly worse than committing the act itself. If he had information his players were breaking NCAA rules and did nothing at all, his punishment could easily be increased by the NCAA.

In summation, I think we have 3 possibilities here. Everything happened exactly as was described in the press conference last night. OR Tress received info that players were breaking NCAA rules and didnt act on it for fear of NCAA retaliation. OR Tress received info that players were breaking NCAA rules and didnt take the information seriously since he probably gets tons of emails daily. I hope Im wrong, but I think the second may be true.

Those of you calling for Tress's head because of the 'national perception' issue must have never crossed the Ohio/Kentucky River.

I live in the south, and believe me, our perception has nothing to do with what happened yesterday, or in April of 2010 either.

We are who we are--one of the most--if not the most polarizing cfb team in the nation. Why is that? Because this University is our professional team, regular pass-time, and full on religion. We almost unilaterally support our coach--in good times and bad. Hell, we celebrate a man that punched a player for crying out loud! As I have commented before, people across this country dont hate us for our BCS record, stats or trophy case. Deep down they hate that they are not us and dont have the constitution to be like us. Dont you get it? They hate us for being us and since we cant be anything else, it doesnt really matter if Tress got a ticket for jaywalking or a 'major' NCAA violation. Wont change a thing, LEAST of all anyone's perception.

So please, stop with all the "Tress tarnished us, so hes gotta go" garbage. I woke up Sunday not giving a rip what anyone outside of Buckeye Nation thought about us and I woke up today feeling the same way.